Building Networks for Your Success in Industry 4.0

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Hannover, Germany

Messegelände 30521

At the world’s largest industrial trade fair, the trends for 2018 is clear: The digitalization of entire industrial eco-systems has a much bigger impact on the economy than any industrial revolution before. With the increasing need for industries to transform accordingly, HANNOVER MESSE has evolved into the leading trade fair to drive industrial readiness towards Industry 4.0.
In the era of Industry 4.0, the commercial success of entire industries will be closely connected to the usage of current and future mobile network technologies. One important corner stone of the advancing digitalization thereby is formed by 5G as 5th mobile broadband generation, which has been specifically designed meet the requirements of the industrial internet and enables entirely new possibilities when it comes to industrial usage.

"Building Networks For Your Success In Industry 4.0" – that´s Ericsson´s guiding theme for the Hanover Fair 2018 which we´d like to illustrate and discuss with you based on our exhibited focus areas. Visit us in the "Digital Factory" at the BITKOM Innovation Area 4.0 (hall 6, D 30).

Demos

Digitization of the industrial primary processes is the challenge for the years to come. From process control nowadays to predictive production and sustainable business models. Communication plays a crucial role in this challenging change, but it changes the communication itself as well. From "best effort" communication, good enough for applications between people we need to shift to a complete new paradigm where reliability, robustness, low latency and quality of performance are more important than the speed of the transmission. Private LTE/ 5G networks designed for and with Industries are the key to success in Industry 4.0.

Transform industrial plants with 5G cellular technology to cut network cables for increased flexibility and to capture new value. As industries seek adaptive production, they require efficient line changes and connected, optimized workflows. The security and capacity of cellular networks enables intelligent automation on a massive scale. Ericsson's IoT Accelerator connects and orchestrates every asset for various use cases like monitoring tools to secure product quality (e.g. Connected Screw Drivers). With decreasing latencies, manufacturers can also run critical real-time applications like intelligent, flexible robotics. A private scalable radio network ensures the quality of service and seamless handovers for complex supply chains. Ericsson's connectivity ecosystem is growing and supports brownfield and greenfield operations.

The manufacturing industry is challenged with the need to offer maximum flexibility to produce individualized products at low cost with a high degree of automation. Flexible and mobile setups at factory sites will facilitate that goal and reliable wireless communication together with a distributed edge cloud that offers ultra-low latency is at the heart of Ericsson's Industrial Wireless Offering.

The demo shows a flexible manufacturing scenario. At its center is a sorting machine which has its brain completely in the distributed edge cloud. Ericsson's advanced radio technology combined with the Ericsson cloud system is operating this machine with highest reliability and achieves to deliver orders directly from customer specifications in an instant.

5G will not only be relevant for telecoms but also for other industries as it will bring reliable wireless connectivity with low latency into the shop floors. To reach these industries, the project "5G for Europe" was established. In cooperation with academic and industries trials and PoCs are being executed to explore the application of the 5G features low latency, high bandwidth, network slicing and distributed cloud. The PocS and trials are implemented by establishing local 5G trial networks using the fleet of mobile 5G networks. The local networks allow to experiment, learn, and industrialize in the real environments. 5G Connected Mobility – as part of Digital Test Field Motorway, 5Gang, Smart Carrier and various other industry engagements are examples for this.

More Ericsson activities at the Hanover Fair 2018

Within the framework of the 5G for Europe project "5GANG" (5G Applied in Industries) Ericsson is jointly showcasing a 5G application together with partners like the Technical University of Dresden : A connected jacket with sensors to steer an industrial robot arm. Experience it yourself at the booth of the German federal ministry for Research and Education (Hall 2, Research & Technology, B22)